The Metabolic Effects of Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLA) in Chickens: A Review

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are natural constituents of meat and dairy products from ruminants, originating from bacterial biohydrogenation in the rumen. CLA supplementation increases the health benefits of animal-derived foods. There are inconsistent reports of the effects of dietary CLA on chicken’s performance; however, the majority of previous reports cite anti-lipogenic effects of CLA. Diets could be formulated to increase n-3 fatty acid (FA) concentration in chicken meat by feeding n-3 FAs as a replacement for n-6 FA rich ingredients. Off-flavors and the chances of oxidative deterioration during storage of meat have been attributed to highn-3 FA levels in poultry diets. An approach to increase the n-3 FA content and decrease the n-6/n-3 FAs ratio in meat, using conjugated linoleic acid in diets, has been suggested. This review deals with the main topics of CLA metabolic effects in chickens.